Bharatpedia

All India Students' Federation


The All India Students' Federation (AISF) is the oldest student organisation in India; it was founded on 12 August 1936 with the guidance of freedom fighters and revolutionaries of that time.[4]

All India Students' Federation
AISF Flag.gif
AISF Flag
AbbreviationAISF
MottoStudy & Struggle
Formation12 August 1936 (88 years ago) (1936-08-12), Lucknow, United Province, British Raj
TypeStudent organisation
PurposeScientific socialism[1]
Headquarters4/7, Asaf Ali Road, New Delhi-110002, India [2]
Location
President
Shuvam Banerjee
General Secretary
Vicky Mahesari
Main organ
Student Action[3]
Affiliations
Websitewww.aisf.org.in

HistoryEdit

The foundation conference of the AISF was held at Ganga Prasad Memorial Hall in Lucknow. 936 delegates from all over the country participated in the conference.[5] The conference was inaugurated by Jawaharlal Nehru while M.A. Jinnah presided. The conference resolved to establish an All India Students Federation (AISF). Prem Narayan Bhargava was elected the first general secretary of the AISF.[5]

The second conference of the AISF was held after a short interval of only three months, beginning on 22 November (1936) in Lahore. It mainly discussed and adopted the constitution of the AISF. The conference was attended by about 150 delegates under the presidentship of Sarat Chandra Bose, who called upon the students to derive inspiration from the Russian revolution. The conference was also addressed by Pt Govind Ballabh Pant. It through a resolution condemned the intervention by Nazi Germany into the affairs of Republican Spain. The conference decided to affiliate the AISF with the World Students’ Association.

Hemu Kalani, an AISF leader, was arrested by the British army in 1942 for leading the Quit India Movement and he was publicly hanged in 1943 at the age of nineteen. AISF leader Kanaklata Barua was a martyrdom student who participated in the freedom struggle.[6]

AISF delegation visited the state and engaged in the relief activities of the Bengal famine of 1943.[7]

The historic Naval uprising took place in Bombay in February 1946. Workers and students also came out in support actively. AISF played an active part in mobilizing students in support of the Naval Ratings.[6]

AISF in independent IndiaEdit

After independence, AISF concentrated its activities mainly in educational issues, Anti-imperialist and anti-feudal struggle. It addressed various daily problems of students after independence and worked for students’ unity against communal threats. AISF played a main role in the Telangana armed struggle against the imperialism of the Nizam of Hyderabad.[8]

AISF continued to fight for the cause of all India, until finally liberating Goa. Satyagrahis from all over the country entered Goa on 15 August 1955 and were fired upon. 23 year old Karnail Singh Benipal was killed when he tried to save his leader V.C. Chitale[9] The general secretary of the AISF Sukhendu Mazumdar was present with AISF leader C.K. Chandrappan on 15 August at the Goa border, to help the student satyagrahis.[10]

The AISF played a huge role in completing the Kothari Commission report which is the basis for all the educational reforms in India.[11]

In the 1980s, during the Khalistan movement, AISF under the leadership of its former General Secretary Satyapal Dang underwent armed training to counter Khalistan militants, with his base at Ekta Bhawan, a centre he had built in Chheharta.[12] Harpal Mohali who was the AISF leader from Mohali lead movements in Punjab University. In response to his attempt to counter Khalistan ideologically he was shot by the militants and got paralyzed. AISF activists lost their lives in the struggle against Khalistan separatism.[12]

Presence in statesEdit

AISF has strong presence in few states like Kerala, Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Assam, Odisha, Uttarpradesh, Maharashtra, New Delhi, and Punjab and in many universities in the country.

Presently AISF active in all universities in India, like Jawaharlal Nehru University, Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi University in Delhi, Patna University in Bihar, Punjabi University in Punjab, Presidency University in West Bengal, Jammu University in Jammu Kashmir, Central University of Kerala in Kerala, Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kerala, Osmania University in Telangana, University of Hyderabad in Telangana, Pondicherry University in Puducherry, Kurukshetra University in Haryana, Cochin University of Science and Technology in Kerala, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in Maharashtra and Lucknow University in Uttar Pradesh.

ActivitiesEdit

Protest and demandsEdit

  • AISF has protested against the National Education Policy, 2019,[13] and hike in fees.[14][15][16][17]
  • AISF members took part and organised multiple Citizenship Amendment Act protests in 2019.[18][19][20][21]
  • During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown in India, demanded their inclusion in essential commodities in various states.[22] AISF set up COVID-19 helpline numbers in various states to help stranded students.[23] AISF also distributed face masks and hand sanitisers.[24][25]
  • AISF hold hunger strike in August 2021, demand fresh job calendar in Andhra Pradesh.[26]

Other social worksEdit

AISF runs Sramajibi Canteen and involves in various social works.[27]

LGBTQIA+ issuesEdit

AISF has actively supported LGBTQIA+ rights. AISF state committee member Nadira Mehrin is the first transgender person to contest in a student's union election under Kerala University.[28][29]

Motto and organisational structureEdit

The organisation now works for the betterment of students with its focus on peace, progress and scientific socialism. The motto "Freedom, Peace and Progress", which had been raised since its formation, was amended at the 1958 National Convention. Since then, the AISF has come up with the motto "Study & Struggle".[30]

The administrative structure of the federation is as follows:

  1. National executive body
  2. State executive body
  3. State administrative body
  4. District administrative body
  5. Block level committee
  6. Institutions level unions

AISF National ConferencesEdit

National Conference Year Place General Secretary President
1
(Founder Conference)		 12–13 August 1936 Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh) Prem Narayan Bhargava
2 22 November 1936 Lahore Prem Narayan Bhargava
3 1–3 January 1938 Madras Ansar Harvani
4 1–2 January 1939 Calcutta M.L.Shah
5 1–2 January 1940 Delhi M.L.Shah
6 25–26 December 1940 Nagpur M. Farooqui
7 31 December 1941 to 1 January 1942 Patna Perin Bharucha
Prashanta Sanyal
8 28–31 December 1944 Calcutta Satyapal Dang
9 20 January 1946 Guntur Satyapal Dang
10 3 January 1947 Delhi Annada Shankar Bhattacharya
11 29–31 December 1947 Bombay Annada Shankar Bhattacharya Satyapal Dang
12 23–27 July 1949 Calcutta Annada Shankar Bhattacharya Susheela Madiman
1950 Calcutta Sukhendu Mazumdar (Acting general secretary) Susheela Madiman
1952 Calcutta Annada Shankar Bhattacharya Susheela Madiman
13 1–5 January 1953 Hyderabad N.R. Dasari Harish Chandra Tiwari
14 5–8 January 1955 Lucknow Sukhendu Mazumdar B. Narsingha Rao
15 2–4 January 1959 Udaipur Hiren Dasgupta Nautiyal
16 25–27 October 1961,
but it could not be held due to natural disaster		 Kanpur
17 29 December 1965 – 2 January 1966 Pondicherry S. Sudhakar Reddy Joginder Singh Dayal
18 21–23 December 1969 New Delhi Ranjit Guha Bant Singh Brar
19 20 January 1974 Cochin Aziz Pasha Shambhu Sharan Shrivastava
20 1–9 February 1979 Ludhiana Amarjeet Kaur Atul Kumar Anjan
21 28–31 January 1983 Trichy Amarjeet Kaur Atul Kumar Anjan
22 13–16 December 1985 Guntur T. Laxminarayana Ravindra Nath Rai
23 15–18 February 1991 Bokaro Soni Thengamom Ravindra Nath Rai
24 7–9 February 1996 Hyderabad T. Srinivas Rahul Bhaiji
25 18–21 October 2000 Jalandhar Vijendra Kesari T. Srinivas,
Ramakrushna Panda
26 3–6 January 2006 Chennai Vijendra Kesari P. Muralidhar,
Jinu Zakariya Oommen[31]
27 13-15 February 2010 Puducherry Abhay Taksal Paramjit Dhaban
28 28–30 November 2013 Hyderabad Vishwajeet Kumar Valli Ullah Khadri[31]
29 27–30 September 2018 Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh Vicky Mahesari Shuvam Banerjee[32]

[33]

Present leadershipEdit

In 29th National Conference held in September 2018 at Anantapur (Andhra Pradesh) Shuvam Banerjee of West Bengal was elected as New National President, Vicky Mahesari from Punjab was elected as New General Secretary of AISF.[34]

In Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union 2018–19, Amutha Jayadeep was elected the joint secretary and in 2019–20, Md. Danish was elected the joint secretary with huge majority.[35][36]

Notable leadersEdit

See alsoEdit

External linksEdit

ReferencesEdit

  1. ↑ "AISF fought heroically for freedom | Hyderabad News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  2. ↑ "AISF - Official". www.aisf.org.in. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  3. ↑ Wilkinson, Tom (2019). "Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950". South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal (22). doi:10.4000/samaj.6488. S2CID 226826101.
  4. ↑ "History". All India Students Federation. Archived from the original on 10 June 2018. Retrieved 9 March 2019.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "AISF has it genesis in Lucknow University | Lucknow News - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lotha, Arhoni (2015). "Role of All India Students Federation In Freedom Struggle (1936-1947)" (PDF). Retrieved 23 March 2021. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  7. ↑ A. B. Bardhan (June 2013). "Satpal Dang: My Friend & Colleague, My Ideal". Tehelka. Archived from the original on 24 October 2017. Retrieved 23 April 2021.
  8. ↑ Wilkinson, Tom (15 December 2019). "Student Politics in British India and Beyond: The Rise and Fragmentation of the All India Student Federation (AISF), 1936–1950". South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal (22). doi:10.4000/samaj.6488. Retrieved 1 December 2020 – via journals.openedition.org.
  9. ↑ "Karnail Singh: The Unsung Young Hero of Goa Liberation (By: PRAJAL SAKHARDANDE, PANAJI)". Goa News. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  10. ↑ Nair, C. Gouridasan (23 March 2012). "For him, personal was also political". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 December 2020 – via www.thehindu.com.
  11. ↑ Gupta, Susmita Sen (2009). Radical Politics in Meghalaya: Problems and Prospects. ISBN 9788178357423.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Ramakrishnan, Venkatesh (12 July 2013). "Communist legend". Frontline. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  13. ↑ "Seeking public feedback on draft education policy an eyewash, say experts".
  14. ↑ "AISF protests against high fee in private schools". The Hindu. 25 June 2019.
  15. ↑ "All India Student Federation opposes fee hike in engineering colleges". 24 June 2019.
  16. ↑ "'Make education affordable to all': Hundreds protest in Delhi against fee hike | Delhi News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  17. ↑ "Punjabi University students raise voice against 10% semester fee hike".
  18. ↑ "Youth bodies, student unions join forces to oppose CAA in Delhi". The Indian Express. 25 December 2019. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  19. ↑ "AISF holds protest march against CAA, NRC, NPR - Times of India". The Times of India.
  20. ↑ "Anti-CAA protest: AISF members stop train at Rajendra Nagar railway station in Patna".
  21. ↑ "AISF meet against CAA-NPR in Hyderabad". 4 March 2020.
  22. ↑ https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/distribution-of-ration-essential-items-continues-4/
  23. ↑ "Student wings of political parties join efforts to help the Covid-hit". 20 April 2021.
  24. ↑ "एआईएसएफ ने विद्यार्थियों के बीच मास्क बांटा".
  25. ↑ "जवानों व आमजनों को Aiyf/Aisf ने किया मास्क वितरण, सोशल डिस्टेंसिंग अपनाने की अपील".
  26. ↑ "Andhra Student Unions to Hold Hunger Strike Demanding Fresh Job Calendar".
  27. ↑ "Assembly 2021: Can the Left become the proverbial dark horse in West Bengal?".
  28. ↑ "Meet Nathira, the first trans person to stand for student elections at Kerala Uni". 9 October 2018.
  29. ↑ "Kerala's CMS College opens its gate for transgender students | Kochi News - Times of India". The Times of India.
  30. ↑ "AISF - Official". www.aisf.org.in. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 "AISF Poised to Face New Challenges". Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  32. ↑ India, The Hans (24 September 2018). "All India Students Federation national convention on Sept 27". www.thehansindia.com. Retrieved 4 January 2020.
  33. ↑ "AISF - Official". www.aisf.org.in. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  34. ↑ "29th National Conference of All India Students Federation". ਭਵਿੱਖ - ਵਿਦਿਆਰਥੀਆਂ ਅਤੇ ਨੌਜੁਆਨਾਂ ਦਾ ਬੁਲਾਰਾ. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  35. ↑ Chakorborty, Nabanita (16 September 2018). "JNUSU Election Results 2018: Left Unity bags four central panel posts, N Sai Balaji new president". News Nation. Retrieved 7 February 2020.
  36. ↑ Shobana, S (16 September 2018). "JNU Election Results Highlights: Left Unity Sweeps JNU Student Polls, Wins All Four Seats". NDTV.com. Retrieved 7 February 2020.


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